1995 Polynesia — Jack and Linda Hoeschler

February 14, 1995 - Apia, Western Samoa. We arrive 8:30AM having left MSP 11:30AM 2/13! I am blessed with urinary tract infection! Our greeting party: Sally Conley of Peace Corps & Samoan women; Sign on bus "USA Friendly Women Group;" Mary Keegan & Madeline O'Brien; Leaetta Hough, favorite roommate.

Bus trip before we check into hotel; Apia's old parliament... and new; Long boats.

Supreme Court; A tomb of someone famous; A view across the bay of Apia; The New Market...rainy season.

At our fine hotel, Aggie Grey's; Sick on plane (U.T. infection!) but can't resist a walk; Leaetta and me in room; Jill, me, and Barbara Hurwitz by hotel pool; Seaside walk.

A walk down hotel street before lunch... rain falls; A policeman in lava lava; Typical street scenes; View from main street.

Building a restaurant. Theme: R L Stevenson; This road to music school, American Embassy, etc.; Barbara, Cay, Leaetta and Jill.

4PM briefing at American Embassy; Betty Lennox and me; Robert Yamato, Charge d'Affairs & Ande; with Susie Hill; Leaetta and I haver dinner with Fay Calkins, friend of Irene Hoebel and author of 'My Samoan Chief'.

2/15 - Fly to island of Savaii, trip delayed by rain; Views from plane; Leaetta, Mary, Sheila, Madeline and Jill; Jill weighs in; I check out life-vest directions.

A bus tour of Savaii villages & projects. Hostess Moelagi Jackson; We bounce along in wooden bus, brightly painted; School girls; Coconut tree seedlings. 1st stop, a fala for breakfast (2nd of day); Local chiefs greet us; A tattooed beauty serves us hot chocolate.

Inside Fala; Breakfast: banana fritters, fruit, etc. and the kitchen crew

The village school needs a bus to bring kids from villages; School year just beginning (Fall); Chief escorts us. Blue house for teachers; Pay to go to school. More boys than girls; Teacher with Janet and Mary Eileen. Great singing led by teacher; Lively dancing with students.

Farewells and then a drive along coast to blowhole; Susie and Jill take in sights from bus; Fabulous fish; Miss Samoa, a soccer players from Apia. NZ father runs a disco.

Moelegi shows off tattoos. She did this to 'attract a man.' Lava coast and blowhole; Janet Mayer gets blasted by blowhole; Seaside sight.

Roadside views.

Pigs all over country.

Next village cum kava and food; Moelagi and Michelle; Young man gets tattooed, a long, painful and infected process; We gather.

Kava ceremony begins, always mixed by a virgin; kava roots; Kava; Village women bring food; 1st food course!

Fine mat weaving; Tapa cloth making and painting from bark; Women watch from outside.

Reading and waiting at airport. Back to Aggie's and Fia Fia (dancing, singing and buffet); Thursday, February 16 - Bus trip through main island to see women's projects. Wild and gorgeous; Stop bus to see falls.

Views from bus; A grave. A way of honoring dead or taking land (ownership often in doubt).

Falls, near Fay and Vaio's plantation; Park by falls; L & I wear lava lavas; Houses are totally open.

Drive through hills and up to village Matatufu; Food baskets galore; Horticulture project of women.

Bus can't get over washout (no one's bothered to fill it in); have to drive up stream bed and be pushed over; Witnesses; and some pushers; Susie Hill; Fishermen.

Satitoa; Had to move decorated swing set, bus couldn't go under; Cute girls in school uniform; Always a roast pig; With kava root; Leaetta lifts kava in new lava lava

Village women sing and talk; Dancing, of course.

Next stop, woman's R&R project & sales pitch.

That night, women's group hosts cocktail party.

Friday, February 17 - Fly to Pago Pago, American Samoa. TV cameras greet us and cover visit. I lunch with many interesting women, first time they had gotten together; Meet with Governor. Other leaders; Our Rainmaker Hotel. Looks good in photos but should be bulldozed!; View from hotel room.

Museum; Museum director leads tour; Susie and 'wooden bell'; Kids play cricket; A well decorated bus.

Pago harbour views. A mess. Korean and Japanese boats damaged by cyclone several years ago are left to rot and rust.

2 island views: romantic and realistic; Falas replaced by poor pre-fab housing and LA gangs.

Kava ceremony in YMCA village outside Pago: more costumed and polished a show, not as emotional; Colorful fala; Colorful kava root presenter; Cay toasts; Village women wanted us to cover up our legs more!

Fabric gift; Song and dance; Beautiful view of sea cum breeze.

Susan Yakutis, assistant to Governor, who takes us around.

Another front yard tomb; Congregational church; Golf course with coconut markers; Pilot and airport crew when we return to Apia; Madeline with hat and lei.

Saturday eve, Titi puts on a concert; Fay and Vaio Ala'ilima; Titi Sapolu with me and Susie; Boys play wooden bells [aka slit log drums].

Kids explain music and music notation; Singing; Playing mats.

Saturday AM - I swim in front of Pago Hotel (late arriving photos from Leaetta).

Sunday, February 19 - 1st stop, hospital; Nurse's station; All poor hospitals look alike; Michelle and niece; Jill gives out gifts; Mother rests; Cat searches for food.

Women host picnic by sea; Lots of food; Stuffed deer centerpiece and gifts; Women hosts; Matai forbids us to swim on Sunday.

Next stop, Robert Louis Stevenson's house; He liked and fit in with Samoan hierarchy; Sea breeze and view. Lovely.

RLS buried up on this hill.

That evening, dinner with women at plantation house. Beautiful spot.

Monday, February 20 - Leave for Tonga; Arrive Tuesday, Feb. 21 (cross dateline); Tour Cultural Center; Tonga Chronicle reporter, radio announcer.

Coconut cream preparation; Mat weaving.

Tapa making.

I present Dominick Argento's piece to Queen of Tonga. They're thrilled.

Flying foxes. Fruit bats; Landing of Christianity spot.

The Royal Palace; Hotel pool and critter.

Carmelite nun gives dinner blessing; With one of 33 nobles, he directs band; Dancer gives neckpiece to noble; Next morning, Dee, Titi's sister, wants to organize Tongan women.